NEC announced Tuesday that it has begun selling commercial software that uses face-recognition technology instead of a password to log on to a personal computer. The software analyzes the several characteristic points of each face on photos such as the distance between a subject's eyes, and create a database.

A camera mounted on each PC snaps a picture of a potential user's face, and the software then references the database to confirm the individual's identity. Once the identify has been confirmed, the computer becomes operable.

The camera continues to snap photos and compare them to the database while the PC is in use. If the user steps away and someone else takes his or her place, the machine automatically becomes inoperable, thereby helping to prevent unauthorized use and safeguarding company information.

The server version of the software is priced at 300,000 yen ($2,894), while the personal computer version costs 10,000 yen per machine. By the year ending March 2017, NEC hopes to have it installed at 400 companies.